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The Goodbye Girls
The students at Lizzie's high school are notoriously terrible at breakups. Forget awkward conversations—they're dumping each other via text. Inspired by the terrible breakups around her, sixteen-year-old Lizzie, strapped for cash and itching to go on the school's band trip to NYC, teams up with her best friend, Willa, to create a genius business: personalized gift baskets—breakup baskets—sent from dumper to dumpee. The Goodbye Girls operate in secret, and business is booming. But it's not long before someone begins sabotaging The Goodbye Girls, sending impossibly cruel baskets to seemingly random targets, undermining everything Lizzie and Willa have built and jeopardizing their anonymity. Soon family, friendship, and a budding romance are on the line. Will Lizzie end up saying goodbye to the business for good?
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 23, 2018
I received an advanced reader copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a decently enjoyable and quick read. If you're not totally and utterly tired of the sibling rivalry trope, which is very present in this book, then you may enjoy this particular read.
The premise of this book seemed immensely interesting, and although I don't have any issues with the way the plot as hinted by the synopsis is played out throughout, I can't say that I'm able to rate this book very highly. I didn't find it very insightful, though it was interesting enough, I think the entire plot is sort of rushed through. This isn't reflecting anything about the pacing, which I actually enjoyed and thought was not too faced-paced or slow, but near the end, the entire mystery is solved but many conflicts are not really resolved, which gives me a sense of unfinished business. (Note, my copy had the text of texts from characters exempt throughout, so there may be some things that I'm missing from the story, as I was unable to read any of the texts supposedly on the page whenever they were mentioned).
There are a few mysteries taking place in this book. Mostly, they revolve around family issues. I think this element of the story was interesting and kept me entertained. I don't think it was particularly useful, but not enough to the point where I felt it took away anything from my experience reading overall enough to complain about it any.
I liked that there are little hints littered throughout the story, I think it always heightens a reading experience when the reader feels they've figured something out before it's actually revealed.
Lizzie as a character wasn't terribly unlikeable. I found her rivalry with her sister, Trish, a tad bit annoying, and it was in these moments where I didn't really enjoy reading from Lizzie's point of view. But overall, she was a decent person and character and reacted accordingly to different situations, at least in my opinion. The book tries really hard to make Trish as unlikeable as possible, and it works, but comes across as exactly that, trying too hard.
I really liked that this book was set in Canada! There were lots of points of familiarity to me because of this, and so few books that I actually enjoy, if at all, are set in Canada, and so I really appreciated this.
The fact that Lizzie is so head over heels for one guy the entire book was a bit unrelatable to me and hindered my enjoyment of the situations where he was present. But this isn't the book's fault, and so this is just a note I'm making in my review and nothing to dock points for.
Finally, the ending. I felt like the entire end of the book is rather rushed. The book seems pretty short to me, and this reflects on how I view the ending to come together pretty fast as if it was written in one big hurry. The situation at school isn't elaborated on, either is Lizzie's situation with Garret, or if she'll be going to New York or not, if she and Willa make up, and the situation with her mother. All these subplot points established with no redemption or explanation for them before the book ends sort of abruptly.
I think this book features a lot about family relationships, secrets, and the inability of teenagers to exist in functioning relationships. However, this book wasn't overly meaningful, and at the end of the day I rate it as how I reflect upon my experience reading it, mediocre.
This book was a decently enjoyable and quick read. If you're not totally and utterly tired of the sibling rivalry trope, which is very present in this book, then you may enjoy this particular read.
The premise of this book seemed immensely interesting, and although I don't have any issues with the way the plot as hinted by the synopsis is played out throughout, I can't say that I'm able to rate this book very highly. I didn't find it very insightful, though it was interesting enough, I think the entire plot is sort of rushed through. This isn't reflecting anything about the pacing, which I actually enjoyed and thought was not too faced-paced or slow, but near the end, the entire mystery is solved but many conflicts are not really resolved, which gives me a sense of unfinished business. (Note, my copy had the text of texts from characters exempt throughout, so there may be some things that I'm missing from the story, as I was unable to read any of the texts supposedly on the page whenever they were mentioned).
There are a few mysteries taking place in this book. Mostly, they revolve around family issues. I think this element of the story was interesting and kept me entertained. I don't think it was particularly useful, but not enough to the point where I felt it took away anything from my experience reading overall enough to complain about it any.
I liked that there are little hints littered throughout the story, I think it always heightens a reading experience when the reader feels they've figured something out before it's actually revealed.
Lizzie as a character wasn't terribly unlikeable. I found her rivalry with her sister, Trish, a tad bit annoying, and it was in these moments where I didn't really enjoy reading from Lizzie's point of view. But overall, she was a decent person and character and reacted accordingly to different situations, at least in my opinion. The book tries really hard to make Trish as unlikeable as possible, and it works, but comes across as exactly that, trying too hard.
I really liked that this book was set in Canada! There were lots of points of familiarity to me because of this, and so few books that I actually enjoy, if at all, are set in Canada, and so I really appreciated this.
The fact that Lizzie is so head over heels for one guy the entire book was a bit unrelatable to me and hindered my enjoyment of the situations where he was present. But this isn't the book's fault, and so this is just a note I'm making in my review and nothing to dock points for.
Finally, the ending. I felt like the entire end of the book is rather rushed. The book seems pretty short to me, and this reflects on how I view the ending to come together pretty fast as if it was written in one big hurry. The situation at school isn't elaborated on, either is Lizzie's situation with Garret, or if she'll be going to New York or not, if she and Willa make up, and the situation with her mother. All these subplot points established with no redemption or explanation for them before the book ends sort of abruptly.
I think this book features a lot about family relationships, secrets, and the inability of teenagers to exist in functioning relationships. However, this book wasn't overly meaningful, and at the end of the day I rate it as how I reflect upon my experience reading it, mediocre.
June 7, 2019
The Goodbye Girls by Lisa Harrington
Lizzie needs money for the class trip to New York. She needs to earn it in order to go on the trip.
She comes up with an idea, instead of singing telegrams, it will be break up baskets to ease the pain of splitting up.
Surprisingly the business takes off quickly and the money rolls in. Lizzie and her best friend Willa are swamped with orders.
But someone starts to sabotage them by sending nasty baskets to people pretending to be the breakup girls.
Who is responsible for this? You need to read the book to find out.
I liked the book, liked the mystery of it and while it wasnt the best book ever it was enjoyable.
thanks for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review, netgalley
Lizzie needs money for the class trip to New York. She needs to earn it in order to go on the trip.
She comes up with an idea, instead of singing telegrams, it will be break up baskets to ease the pain of splitting up.
Surprisingly the business takes off quickly and the money rolls in. Lizzie and her best friend Willa are swamped with orders.
But someone starts to sabotage them by sending nasty baskets to people pretending to be the breakup girls.
Who is responsible for this? You need to read the book to find out.
I liked the book, liked the mystery of it and while it wasnt the best book ever it was enjoyable.
thanks for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review, netgalley
July 30, 2018
I loved this book!
Lizzie was such an enjoyable character to read from, and I found her friendship with Willa very realistic and loveable and it reminded me of a lot of my best girl friendships. I also enjoyed the exploration of a sister rivalry, which was done very well here in capturing the dynamics that can come from two such different personalities.
I LOVED the plot. The mystery really picks up in the second half and I have to say, I was very invested and stayed up reading until I finished. I had several theories about what was going on, none of which were 100% accurate.
I also loved that the drama didn't seem over the top. Lisa is always good at capturing realistic high school relationships, characters, and reactions and I found that all the drama stayed on the side of realistic and believable.
Loved it!
Lizzie was such an enjoyable character to read from, and I found her friendship with Willa very realistic and loveable and it reminded me of a lot of my best girl friendships. I also enjoyed the exploration of a sister rivalry, which was done very well here in capturing the dynamics that can come from two such different personalities.
I LOVED the plot. The mystery really picks up in the second half and I have to say, I was very invested and stayed up reading until I finished. I had several theories about what was going on, none of which were 100% accurate.
I also loved that the drama didn't seem over the top. Lisa is always good at capturing realistic high school relationships, characters, and reactions and I found that all the drama stayed on the side of realistic and believable.
Loved it!
July 13, 2018
Um ok. I didn’t really enjoy this book. I didn’t really like the sister meanness between Lizzie and Trish. I can understand sibling rivalry but that was a bit too much. I also don’t understand Lizzie’s mom. She seems mostly hard working but what kind of message is her relationship choice sending to her two daughters?
The idea of the breakup baskets was great! I thought that was a real interesting concept and storyline but it kind of fizzled out.
The main gripe that I have with this book is that it was missing pages. At first I didn’t think it was that important because I could kind of piece together what was going on but the final text from Willa was missing!!! I’m assuming that there was some content there, if not I just don’t get it. How can you give someone a book to read that is missing parts of it?!
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Nimbus Publishing.
The idea of the breakup baskets was great! I thought that was a real interesting concept and storyline but it kind of fizzled out.
The main gripe that I have with this book is that it was missing pages. At first I didn’t think it was that important because I could kind of piece together what was going on but the final text from Willa was missing!!! I’m assuming that there was some content there, if not I just don’t get it. How can you give someone a book to read that is missing parts of it?!
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Nimbus Publishing.
July 15, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and Nimbus Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like The Goodbye Girls. The business idea was so original, and the beginning felt so real, but everything deteriorated from there. My main problem was with all of characters, except for Lizzie, the main character. Everyone spent most of their time repetitively fighting, and I found most of the relationships to be exhausting.
Willa, Lizzie’s best friend, spent a lot of time blowing up at her about her parent’s impending divorce and her denial of their separation. She also constantly criticized Trisha, Lizzie’s older sister, for the kind of person she seemed to be. To be fair, Trisha wasn’t very nice, but I still felt that Willa had no place saying those things. I value strong friendships, and I don’t feel that came through in this book.
Trisha herself could have been an interesting character, but I found her to be incredibly petty. I don’t find that to be a driving character trait, and she only had a few moments where she wasn’t being rude or shallow. I could have gotten into a reconciliation story, and I did like her ending, but it wasn’t enough. Trisha’s relationship with Lizzie went way far beyond a sibling rivalry, and most of the time, I was so confounded by her motivations, which were just petty to begin with.
Lizzie’s mom seemed to try hard to help her daughter in the beginning and was very encouraging, but once we found out about her relationship everything went downhill. She was made out to be a single parent who’s trying her best with two teenagers, but I don’t understand why she made the choices she did while still trying to be there for her daughters.
I wish the mystery in the book had been played up. I think the book could have been stronger if it was more plot focused. I liked the parts in the beginning where Lizzie and Willa were more goal-oriented, when their friendship felt supportive, and they were set on going to New York together. If they had kept up that motivation in finding the saboteur and turning the book into more of a mystery, I would have been able to accept more of the drama.
Overall, I give The Goodbye Girls 2/5 stars for all the repetition and toxicity.
I wanted to like The Goodbye Girls. The business idea was so original, and the beginning felt so real, but everything deteriorated from there. My main problem was with all of characters, except for Lizzie, the main character. Everyone spent most of their time repetitively fighting, and I found most of the relationships to be exhausting.
Willa, Lizzie’s best friend, spent a lot of time blowing up at her about her parent’s impending divorce and her denial of their separation. She also constantly criticized Trisha, Lizzie’s older sister, for the kind of person she seemed to be. To be fair, Trisha wasn’t very nice, but I still felt that Willa had no place saying those things. I value strong friendships, and I don’t feel that came through in this book.
Trisha herself could have been an interesting character, but I found her to be incredibly petty. I don’t find that to be a driving character trait, and she only had a few moments where she wasn’t being rude or shallow. I could have gotten into a reconciliation story, and I did like her ending, but it wasn’t enough. Trisha’s relationship with Lizzie went way far beyond a sibling rivalry, and most of the time, I was so confounded by her motivations, which were just petty to begin with.
Lizzie’s mom seemed to try hard to help her daughter in the beginning and was very encouraging, but once we found out about her relationship everything went downhill. She was made out to be a single parent who’s trying her best with two teenagers, but I don’t understand why she made the choices she did while still trying to be there for her daughters.
I wish the mystery in the book had been played up. I think the book could have been stronger if it was more plot focused. I liked the parts in the beginning where Lizzie and Willa were more goal-oriented, when their friendship felt supportive, and they were set on going to New York together. If they had kept up that motivation in finding the saboteur and turning the book into more of a mystery, I would have been able to accept more of the drama.
Overall, I give The Goodbye Girls 2/5 stars for all the repetition and toxicity.
July 4, 2023
it must be the summer of me reading mediocre contemporaries because this was borderline awful 😋
August 7, 2024
Julia:
When Lizzie, a sixteen year old girl living in Halifax NS, finds out about her dream band trip to New York, she just HAS to go. Willing to do anything to earn the money for the student fee, she and her friend Willa create the perfect business for the doomed dumpers and dumpees of Halifax West: personalized breakup baskets. Working under anonymity, their business, The Goodbye Girls, is a huge success. Until inexplicable sabotages jeopardize their business, the trip, and their friendship.
I love the Goodbye Girls. It never fails to make me smile. I felt so connected with the characters, they're all just so loveable and interesting!
This book is set in Lizzie’s high school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I thought that the setting was perfect because this book is absolutely made for young adults.
I was quite surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it is not the genre I would pick up! My favourite part was finding out about what the characters were thinking.
If you're looking for a highschool book with amazing dialogue, and the perfect amount of chaos, drama, and romance!
I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Alicia- The Goodbye Girls By Lisa Harrington.
The story is about two best friends who come up with a business plan idea to deliver gift baskets (“Break Up Baskets”) to break up with someone. The money was to help Lizzie pay for her fees to go to New York with her best friend Willa, but it became much more than that when the "Rogue Baskets" came in, amongst other things.
When I started reading it I was like, "This is just some funny drama book." But I was wrong, the ending caught me completely off guard and it took a deep dark turn, but the very ending for the book was so sweet and wholesome, I wanted to jump with joy while also crying loudly. 😂
I rate this book a 5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book is without a doubt in my top 2 favourite books, if you like dramatic stories with mystery and lots of funny moments give it a read. 🥳🥳🥳
______
Savannah: The Goodbye Girls by Lisa Harrington was the best book to end 2021 on!! Easily in the top three books I’ve read right behind Alexandra Harrington’s « The Last Time I Saw Her »!
This book undeniably deserves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this book in one sitting on our way to Grandfalls and I couldn’t put it down!!
The plot in this book was incredibly well written and thought out. Every page made me want more and kept me hooked. The characters were relatable and well developed and the mystery was so great!
The romance between Lizzie and Garret was so cute and kept the story upbeat and fun. I appreciate that the storyline wasn’t predictable and that it was unique and nothing like I’ve ever read before!
The themes were fresh and relatable and the author portrayed high school, romance and the revenge aspects very accurately and in a way that was entertaining and kept you wanting more. The one part I would’ve changed was the ending, I thought it was wrapped up sort of quickly but that’s it. Overall this was an amazing novel that I recommend to everyone and that I will definitely be rereading!!
When Lizzie, a sixteen year old girl living in Halifax NS, finds out about her dream band trip to New York, she just HAS to go. Willing to do anything to earn the money for the student fee, she and her friend Willa create the perfect business for the doomed dumpers and dumpees of Halifax West: personalized breakup baskets. Working under anonymity, their business, The Goodbye Girls, is a huge success. Until inexplicable sabotages jeopardize their business, the trip, and their friendship.
I love the Goodbye Girls. It never fails to make me smile. I felt so connected with the characters, they're all just so loveable and interesting!
This book is set in Lizzie’s high school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I thought that the setting was perfect because this book is absolutely made for young adults.
I was quite surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it is not the genre I would pick up! My favourite part was finding out about what the characters were thinking.
If you're looking for a highschool book with amazing dialogue, and the perfect amount of chaos, drama, and romance!
I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Alicia- The Goodbye Girls By Lisa Harrington.
The story is about two best friends who come up with a business plan idea to deliver gift baskets (“Break Up Baskets”) to break up with someone. The money was to help Lizzie pay for her fees to go to New York with her best friend Willa, but it became much more than that when the "Rogue Baskets" came in, amongst other things.
When I started reading it I was like, "This is just some funny drama book." But I was wrong, the ending caught me completely off guard and it took a deep dark turn, but the very ending for the book was so sweet and wholesome, I wanted to jump with joy while also crying loudly. 😂
I rate this book a 5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book is without a doubt in my top 2 favourite books, if you like dramatic stories with mystery and lots of funny moments give it a read. 🥳🥳🥳
______
Savannah: The Goodbye Girls by Lisa Harrington was the best book to end 2021 on!! Easily in the top three books I’ve read right behind Alexandra Harrington’s « The Last Time I Saw Her »!
This book undeniably deserves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this book in one sitting on our way to Grandfalls and I couldn’t put it down!!
The plot in this book was incredibly well written and thought out. Every page made me want more and kept me hooked. The characters were relatable and well developed and the mystery was so great!
The romance between Lizzie and Garret was so cute and kept the story upbeat and fun. I appreciate that the storyline wasn’t predictable and that it was unique and nothing like I’ve ever read before!
The themes were fresh and relatable and the author portrayed high school, romance and the revenge aspects very accurately and in a way that was entertaining and kept you wanting more. The one part I would’ve changed was the ending, I thought it was wrapped up sort of quickly but that’s it. Overall this was an amazing novel that I recommend to everyone and that I will definitely be rereading!!
July 12, 2018
4/5 stars
"It's weird, knowing something about someone they don't know themselves. He had no idea what's coming"
Lizzie Turner wants nothing more than to travel on the class trip to New York. Of course, that sounds easy until she realizes how much money it will cost to go - money that Lizzie and her family certainly don't have. When she notices a trend among the students at her school she turns it into a business to save money for the trip. The business? Breaking hearts. Lizzie and her best friend, Willa, deliver "break-up baskets" to students, hired anonymously to break up on behalf of a classmate. Everything becomes more complicated when someone tries to sabotage them and they end up as some of the most hated people in the school.
The Goodbye Girls is an entertaining read, displaying a dramatic and exciting twist to the regular high-school narrative. Harrington creates a dynamic situation with characters that are dealing with both typical problems like having a crush just out of reach and very un-typical circumstances like knowing someone is going to broken up with before they do. The combination of these things made for a very compelling and fun read.
The characters were well written, though I did not find any of them particularly likable. This was not a pitfall, as they were realistic due to their flaws but I found this to bring forward a lack of proper motivation for some of their actions.
Overall, I found the book to be a fun read with some thought-provoking moments. I found the ending to be abrupt, not nearly giving closure on all the storylines that were presented in the novel and left many of the climax points open-ended and wish there had been a bit more of a wrap-up. This is a great read for students in middle-school and high-school or anyone who wants to enjoy a fun read about getting through hard times, dealing with siblings, or growing up.
"It's weird, knowing something about someone they don't know themselves. He had no idea what's coming"
Lizzie Turner wants nothing more than to travel on the class trip to New York. Of course, that sounds easy until she realizes how much money it will cost to go - money that Lizzie and her family certainly don't have. When she notices a trend among the students at her school she turns it into a business to save money for the trip. The business? Breaking hearts. Lizzie and her best friend, Willa, deliver "break-up baskets" to students, hired anonymously to break up on behalf of a classmate. Everything becomes more complicated when someone tries to sabotage them and they end up as some of the most hated people in the school.
The Goodbye Girls is an entertaining read, displaying a dramatic and exciting twist to the regular high-school narrative. Harrington creates a dynamic situation with characters that are dealing with both typical problems like having a crush just out of reach and very un-typical circumstances like knowing someone is going to broken up with before they do. The combination of these things made for a very compelling and fun read.
The characters were well written, though I did not find any of them particularly likable. This was not a pitfall, as they were realistic due to their flaws but I found this to bring forward a lack of proper motivation for some of their actions.
Overall, I found the book to be a fun read with some thought-provoking moments. I found the ending to be abrupt, not nearly giving closure on all the storylines that were presented in the novel and left many of the climax points open-ended and wish there had been a bit more of a wrap-up. This is a great read for students in middle-school and high-school or anyone who wants to enjoy a fun read about getting through hard times, dealing with siblings, or growing up.
December 13, 2018
The Breakup Business is Booming!
A lot of breakups are happening and spreading like wildfire. Some are gotten dump through text or through someone to avoid embarrassment. This seems to be an opportunity for Willa and Lizzie. They thought of a way to earn and save up money for the New York trip by providing a service for those who want to break up with their girlfriend/boyfriend but can’t face them. The business is simple – it’s like sending flowers and chocolates to a loved one but it’s the other way around. They send breakup baskets. These baskets are sent to the person who will get dumped. I know, it’s like bribery – WTF!
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I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest book review.
A lot of breakups are happening and spreading like wildfire. Some are gotten dump through text or through someone to avoid embarrassment. This seems to be an opportunity for Willa and Lizzie. They thought of a way to earn and save up money for the New York trip by providing a service for those who want to break up with their girlfriend/boyfriend but can’t face them. The business is simple – it’s like sending flowers and chocolates to a loved one but it’s the other way around. They send breakup baskets. These baskets are sent to the person who will get dumped. I know, it’s like bribery – WTF!
Blog ❤ Twitter ❤ GoodReads ❤ Facebook
June 23, 2019
Well I finished this in a day but it wasn't one of my favorites. It was alright but I didn't love the ending.
May 29, 2025
The Goodbye Girls... where to begin? I really thought this novel was interesting due to it's premise, two girls that start a business selling gift baskets to nicely break the news that your partner just broke up with you. And since it's all anonymous, there's room for sabotage and sending baskets full of blackmail instead of gifts. I thought it was a really interesting concept. This book is like a standard rom-com, or a teen romance movie. Lets go over the things this that this book does well. I saw the reviews, and they said that Lisa Harrington writes dialogue well. I have to agree. It's quite natural, especially for teenagers. This was written a few years ago but it still holds up decently well. I don't like when authors use a lot of slang that they think teens use. It's also well paced, and it holds up well as it is. There's nothing technically wrong with this book, with the characters or the story.
So at this point, it really boils down to what you like in a story due to your own personal taste. I will say right off the bat that I do not love teen romance movies... I'm sorry. This book also had a fair bit of swearing, which I didn't really like, and I didn't love the storylines for each character. This book deals with a lot of really interesting and messy characters, our main character Lizzie has eyes for her sister's boyfriend, and Lizzie's widowed mother is getting back into the dating realm again. The only downside to her mothers side plot is that she's dating a married man who's cheating on his wife? I think with subplots like these, from what I understood, it was only messy for the sake of being messy. The ending of this book left me far from satisfied, and all of it just felt like we were back to square one again? But not even that, we're set back a bit? None of these characters, especially not Lizzie, had solid arcs. I think that's my main complaint with this book. Lizzie shows lots of integrity towards the end, but she had always come off as a likeable and integral to begin with.
I would have liked to see a bit more investigative work and hunting for the culprit. Not like a full on mystery novel, but I would have been nice to see that. With the breakup baskets being sabotaged, it could have made for some really nice detective work within the novel. But unfortunately that's not what this book is, and maybe that's a good thing because the main culprit is incredibly obvious. It's almost a dead giveaway from the first time they're introduced, so there isn't much mystery there. This book is more of a... dare I say... disposable... read. It's exactly a book like The Summer I Turned Pretty or The Kissing Booth played out. Unfortunately I have seen those. But hey... if you're into that... then The Goodbye Girls is just what you're looking for in your next summer read.
So at this point, it really boils down to what you like in a story due to your own personal taste. I will say right off the bat that I do not love teen romance movies... I'm sorry. This book also had a fair bit of swearing, which I didn't really like, and I didn't love the storylines for each character. This book deals with a lot of really interesting and messy characters, our main character Lizzie has eyes for her sister's boyfriend, and Lizzie's widowed mother is getting back into the dating realm again. The only downside to her mothers side plot is that she's dating a married man who's cheating on his wife? I think with subplots like these, from what I understood, it was only messy for the sake of being messy. The ending of this book left me far from satisfied, and all of it just felt like we were back to square one again? But not even that, we're set back a bit? None of these characters, especially not Lizzie, had solid arcs. I think that's my main complaint with this book. Lizzie shows lots of integrity towards the end, but she had always come off as a likeable and integral to begin with.
I would have liked to see a bit more investigative work and hunting for the culprit. Not like a full on mystery novel, but I would have been nice to see that. With the breakup baskets being sabotaged, it could have made for some really nice detective work within the novel. But unfortunately that's not what this book is, and maybe that's a good thing because the main culprit is incredibly obvious. It's almost a dead giveaway from the first time they're introduced, so there isn't much mystery there. This book is more of a... dare I say... disposable... read. It's exactly a book like The Summer I Turned Pretty or The Kissing Booth played out. Unfortunately I have seen those. But hey... if you're into that... then The Goodbye Girls is just what you're looking for in your next summer read.
September 10, 2018
The Goodbye Girls was one of those books where I was sure I knew how it would end from the beginning. When some things started happening, I just nodded to myself, having seen the signs from the beginning. If the whole book had been like that, I would have had a chard time finding any enjoyment out of reading it. As it stands, the biggest plot twist, I did not see coming at all. The characters were developed and complex enough that you didn't know right away what they were going to do.
I will say, my one major issue with this book is the fact that Lizzie is a little too self-centered, okay, a lot. Even the internal dialog she has going when something is happening makes it hard to like her as a character. I know she is a teenager, but she is on the extreme side. At least, coming from someone who is past the teenage years, that's how it seems to me. Teenagers will probably be able to relate to her more than I am able to.
Overall, I found this book an entertaining read and one that I feel teenagers would enjoy.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Lisa Harrington
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing
Publication Date: 26 Apr 2018
I will say, my one major issue with this book is the fact that Lizzie is a little too self-centered, okay, a lot. Even the internal dialog she has going when something is happening makes it hard to like her as a character. I know she is a teenager, but she is on the extreme side. At least, coming from someone who is past the teenage years, that's how it seems to me. Teenagers will probably be able to relate to her more than I am able to.
Overall, I found this book an entertaining read and one that I feel teenagers would enjoy.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Lisa Harrington
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing
Publication Date: 26 Apr 2018
July 15, 2018
The writing style was very engaging and pulled me right in. The character of Lizzie was very likeable and relatable, as was her best friend Willa.
The plot follows a teenager and her friend try to make money ahead of a school trip to New York by setting up a business where they are paid by strangers to handle their break up for them. They create baskets of the dumpers favourite things alongside a letter from the dumper and leave it on the dumpees doorstep. The main storyline of the 'Break up Baskets' was really interesting and funny at times. The only issues I had were; a few pages were missing from the ARC so I may have missed something as the ending seemed to come about very abruptly and nothing really seemed to be resolved; the sibling rivalry was possibly slightly OTT and a little unrealistic. Overall, a fun and entertaining read.
An ARC copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The plot follows a teenager and her friend try to make money ahead of a school trip to New York by setting up a business where they are paid by strangers to handle their break up for them. They create baskets of the dumpers favourite things alongside a letter from the dumper and leave it on the dumpees doorstep. The main storyline of the 'Break up Baskets' was really interesting and funny at times. The only issues I had were; a few pages were missing from the ARC so I may have missed something as the ending seemed to come about very abruptly and nothing really seemed to be resolved; the sibling rivalry was possibly slightly OTT and a little unrealistic. Overall, a fun and entertaining read.
An ARC copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2018
**2.75 stars
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a really quick, decent read that will leave you thinking "Oh... OK". The characters in this were all really hard to like for me personally. The hatred between the two siblings seemed highly exaggerated considering there was no actual inciting incident to cause a feud this bad. The friendship that Willa and Lizzie had kind of had a weird dynamic to me that I could never fully figure out. I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I personally though that Lizzie's dating choices were just straight up wrong.
The book wasn't bad, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. There was too much animosity throughout the entirety of the book and too little resolution. I think that the idea is cute, but it just didn't work out well for me.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a really quick, decent read that will leave you thinking "Oh... OK". The characters in this were all really hard to like for me personally. The hatred between the two siblings seemed highly exaggerated considering there was no actual inciting incident to cause a feud this bad. The friendship that Willa and Lizzie had kind of had a weird dynamic to me that I could never fully figure out. I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I personally though that Lizzie's dating choices were just straight up wrong.
The book wasn't bad, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. There was too much animosity throughout the entirety of the book and too little resolution. I think that the idea is cute, but it just didn't work out well for me.
August 13, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis of it sounded so good, I haven’t read or heard of any like it, that’s why I was so interested in it.
While reading this book, Lizzie was the best part of it although maybe a little immature at times. Willa was rather annoying, because she was always getting after Lizzie about certain things were imo she had no right to do. Also going after Lizzie’s older sister Trisha I mean she’s not the nicest person ever but I still don’t think that Willa should have said the things she said. It was really hard for me to like her.
I did like that here was a mystery to who was sending the mysterious breakup baskets.
Not sure what else to say other than… this book wasn’t for me. I really did want to like it, just felt like something was lacking.
*I was given this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
While reading this book, Lizzie was the best part of it although maybe a little immature at times. Willa was rather annoying, because she was always getting after Lizzie about certain things were imo she had no right to do. Also going after Lizzie’s older sister Trisha I mean she’s not the nicest person ever but I still don’t think that Willa should have said the things she said. It was really hard for me to like her.
I did like that here was a mystery to who was sending the mysterious breakup baskets.
Not sure what else to say other than… this book wasn’t for me. I really did want to like it, just felt like something was lacking.
*I was given this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
November 15, 2018
Lizzie and Willa decide to start a business so that Lizzie may raise enough money to go to New York with the school band. The Goodbye Girls offer to deliver baskets so that dumpers may avoid telling their girl/boyfriend that they want to break up. The moral consequences begin to mount for the girls as they begin to deliver more and more personal baskets. Lizzie's life becomes even more complicated when her older sister Trish's boyfriend Garret beings to flirt with Lizzie.
As the plot thickens, the readers will be unable to put down this page turner. Recommended for teens who enjoy thrillers.
As the plot thickens, the readers will be unable to put down this page turner. Recommended for teens who enjoy thrillers.
May 28, 2024
Picked this book up because the cover screamed out to me. While reading it, I loved the idea and backstory behind it. Girl is broke and wants to go on school trip, so her and her bff make a business to deliver breakup baskets to couples that are breaking up. There's a lot of twists that you don't expect. Honestly though, I felt like finishing the book I still felt empty. It didn't leave me with the 100% satisfied feeling that everything got resolved but I think it did work to the books whole concept. It is a good read but I dont think I'd read it again.
January 27, 2025
This book started out fun (a little juvenile, sure, but still a cute little YA book) and completely fizzled out by the end. None of the plot lines really get resolved. No one faces any consequences for their actions, no one takes the blame for what they did wrong or apologizes… By the end Lizzie seems ready to forgive her sister but no one’s made any effort to talk things through and make amends. It felt unfinished, like the author got to the end and didn’t feel like writing the “hard” parts where the characters had to grow and show that they’ve learned or changed.
July 22, 2018
The premise is different and I was enjoying the book, however the eARC has a few glitches (it was missing text messages) but I was dealing with it fine and not letting that affect me to much cause that’s not authors fault.
I found Lizzie to be annoying at times and on the bratty side and wished that the issues between Lizzie and her sister, her mom and her BFF and been worked out rather than just sudoku being ok.
I found Lizzie to be annoying at times and on the bratty side and wished that the issues between Lizzie and her sister, her mom and her BFF and been worked out rather than just sudoku being ok.
January 22, 2024
I enjoyed this book until the last chapter. I felt like it was a bit predictable but that's ok ultimately there were some turns I lived but the last chapter or two just made me feel like the author wanted to be done writing the book so it ends the way it did. I needed more, it didn't really make sense.
September 23, 2018
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.*
Read this in one sitting. It was a nice, light YA read and exactly what I needed. I really enjoyed the writing and the premise.
I really liked that things didn’t end in a cliche way. The ending actually surprised me.
Read this in one sitting. It was a nice, light YA read and exactly what I needed. I really enjoyed the writing and the premise.
I really liked that things didn’t end in a cliche way. The ending actually surprised me.
February 20, 2019
3.45. this book had some flaws, but overall was a very enjoyable read. I found myself torn between relating to and not being able to stand the main character, but I think that made the TEENAGE of it all real lol
June 10, 2019
Oh my, I did not see the ending coming! I felt emotions that I haven't felt in a while. I'm literally crying. This is what real life is like, this is how emotions are. This is a perfect representation of family and friend dynamics that go awry. Thank you Lisa for making me feel again 💚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2020
It's about a girl that makes a personalized basket for dumping people to fundraise for a trip for music. Somebody starts ruining their job by pretending to be them and sending baskets that hurt people. Later she finds out that it's her sister. The book ends badly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2021
I’ll be fair; I did genuinely enjoy the book until the last few chapters. So, I guess it’s a good read that has a shite ending. If you like psychotic siblings, shitty parents, over-the-top revenge plots, and a disappointing end with no real resolution, this is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2018
Eh. Premise seemed more interesting than the actual book.
September 14, 2018
Reality fiction. Relatable. Easy read. Relationship drama. Family relationships.
December 3, 2018
3.8 (rounded up to 4) stars out of 5
Not bad, not good either. I liked that it was set in Halifax (even though the canadianismes were kinda shoved down the reader’s throat)
Not bad, not good either. I liked that it was set in Halifax (even though the canadianismes were kinda shoved down the reader’s throat)
February 20, 2020
I really like it! Cute little book!
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